Best of the Best
by sapphireEye2010
Summary: The Avengers decide to have a series of challenges to see who is truly, "The Best of the Best". Includes my OC, Pyrexia, and Loki. Rated T for possible language and suggestive moments.
1. Chapter 1

**A series of oneshots featuring the Avengers, Loki, and my OC, Pyrexia (more info on her, please read "Pyrexia" and "Hidden Fire"). The team decides to have a series of challenges to see who truly is the Best of the Best.**

Challenge 1: Acting

"Ok, here's the rules," Tony says. "Every day, we come up with a new challenge. Certain individuals with training or practice in the field will be excluded and will judge the competition. No one can win two days in a row. For day one, we'll do acting. Natasha, seeing as you perfectly portrayed Miss Natalie Rushman, you will be our judge for the day. Each participant will, throughout the day, attempt to fool others with their acting skills. Inform the judge of when you plan to strike. At midnight, Tasha will decide the winner. Ok. Ready? Set? GO!" The team disperses.

First attempt: Bruce Banner

Bruce stumbles into the room, looking beaten up. Tony and Steve, who were sitting on the couch watching "Super Nanny", get up to help him. Bruce attempts to tell a story of him going downstairs on the elevator when he was attacked maliciously by a stranger. He claims that he was knocked out, preventing him from Hulking out. Upon further inspection, Tony notices how fake his cuts and bruises are and calls him out.

Second attempt: Steve Rogers  
Accomplice: Tony Stark and Pepper Potts

Steve storms into the kitchen, looking fairly upset, hair spiky and odd. When questioned, he states that Tony had replaced his shampoo with glue. After having his hair checked by Pepper (not in the competition), she "confirms" that it was actually glue. Tony walks in, whistling, not seeming to care. Steve runs up to him and "punches" him in the face, which leads to what appeared to be a fist fight. None questioned it, seeing as they added fake blood and everything.

Third attempt: Sierra Nelson  
Accomplice: Loki

Sierra and Loki have a shouting match in their bedroom. Loki runs out with his hair on fire. She chases after him, eyes red and face blotchy. She's about to start crying. She's stilling yelling at him, but nobody can understand them. (They both had decided to learn Welsh to avoid anybody from hearing their conversations and everyone agreed not to learn it). Eventually, she breaks down and falls to the floor, tears pouring down her face. She extinguishes Loki's hair, and he attempts to apologize, head smoking. She actually punches him in the face.

The Winner: Sierra

Note: Loki easily grew his hair back, making Tony jealous. Sierra wins due to the face that she was able to make herself cry.

**If you have any ideas for later challenges, PM me. I will take all recommendations to consideration, but no promises that they will be included.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This one's a little weird, but it was the best I could come up with. Enjoy, review, and recommend! Please! I need more ideas!**

Challenge 2: Silence

"Ok, since I was the winner yesterday, I get to choose the challenge," Sierra tells the team. "So I decided that we can see who can go the longest without talking. JARVIS has agreed to be the judge. No talking, no singing, no whistling, nothing. Absolute silence. This will be a challenge for Tony and Clint, but if they can handle it, then good for them (and us). I don't have to participate, so I will be the Challenger, meaning I will try to make it more difficult for all of you. No favorites, _Loki_. So, good luck, because it starts now."

First Loser: Clint.

When Tony falls down the stairs, somehow managing not to swear or make any noise, Clint lets it slip.

"Smooth move," he says. It takes him a moment to realize what he did. JARVIS announces to the entire house that Clint has lost, which results in several people trying to retain their laughter. Steve hands Bruce a twenty dollar bill in defeat.

Second Loser: Loki

The Challenger finally decides to strike. Her boyfriend is her first target. While he's reading on the couch, she sits next to him. He looks up long enough to find himself locked in a make-out session. After a few very heated minutes, she pulls away and stands up, not looking back. He's already trapped in the moment, so he attempts to follow her, winding up in their room. She pushes him on the bed, straddling him. After another shorter make-out session, she gets up and leaves again. He finally gets sick of it and pushes her against the wall.

"Tease," he says, forgetting about the competition. She smiles and gives him a quick peck as JARVIS's voice rings out.

"Loki has just lost the competition, although I would suggest not going into his and Sierra's bedroom any time soon." Loki's face turns bright red. Suddenly, JARVIS speaks again.

"And 'His Royal Highness' Thor cannot stop laughing, so he loses, too." This makes the couple laugh. Sierra slips away, promising Loki an IOU as she moves on to her next target.

Fourth Loser: Steve

Steve's caught by JARVIS when he's singing in the shower.

"Steve has been caught singing a rendition of 'Sexy and I know It' while shampooing his hair." Those who have already lost loudly burst into a fit of laughter, all of whom end up on the floor. Those still in the competition all successfully manage not to make a sound.

Fifth Loser: Bruce

While researching in the lab, Bruce starts to whistle. As it just so happens, Sierra walks by, and after hearing said whistling, enters the lab.

"You lose," she says. They pause for a moment, waiting to see if JARVIS would say anything. When he doesn't, Bruce scrambles to find a pen and paper.

_Whistling doesn't count_

"Yes, it does."

_No._

"JARVIS?"

"I'm afraid she did clarify the rules to say, and I quote directly, 'No talking, no singing, no whistling, nothing.' So, you do, in fact, lose. I'm so sorry." He makes the announcement. Bruce swears.

"Hey, at least I wasn't singing," Bruce says, nodding to something behind Sierra. She turns, and sure enough, there's Mr. Sexy and I Know It. He must have heard, because he quickly runs off.

Sixth Loser: Natasha

Natasha was wise, and stayed in her room for the entire day. She had decided to take these challenges seriously. As an assassin, challenges were always welcome. She had kept track of those who lost, and now that it was just her and Tony, she was determined to win. She grabbed her cell phone and texted her husband, Clint

_Hey ;)_

_Hey babe, haven't heard from you all day._

_I'm not letting that asshole win._

_Anything I can do to help_

_I have a plan. _After texting him all the details, he agrees. Natasha waits patiently. Her whole plan was to have Clint sneak in and steal random items from whatever it was Tony was working on. Hopefully, it would irritate him enough to get him to say something, but after an hour of waiting, she fell asleep.

She's woken by the sound of something at her door. She instinctively grabs for her gun, but it's not there. A hand is placed roughly over her mouth, and she's jerked upwards. Her hands are tied behind her back. She is able to lift her head high enough to see her kidnappers. She's shocked to see Clint is the one with his hand over her mouth. His eyes are that eerie shade of blue as they were several years ago. She also sees Loki, who is smirking at her doorway. Rage bubbles inside of her. She bites Clint's hand, which he jerks away.

"You lying bastard!" she spits at him before Clint can place his hand over her mouth again. She can't believe that after all this time, he would turn against not only the Avengers, but the girl he claimed to love. Suddenly, JARVIS's voice echoes through the house.

"And through brilliant planning by Sierra, I am happy and quite shocked to announced that Tony Stark is the winner of today's challenge." Then, the hand drops from Natasha's mouth and Clint and Loki seem to collapse. She looks at them, puzzled. She realizes they're laughing.

"What the hell?" she yells at the two men. They finally get themselves to calm down and stand up. Clint turns away for a moment, messing with his eye. When he turns around again, one eye is back to normal, while the other is still blue. Contacts.

"I'm sorry, babe, but you should have seen the look on your face." He unties her hand and she punches him in the arm. They can hear a commotion from the living room. It sounds like Tony's celebrating. Natasha makes a mental note to get back at Sierra.


End file.
